title: Oxidative protein modification as predigestive mechanism of the carnivorous plant Dionaea muscipula: an hypothesis based on in vitro experiments.
abstract: Aqueous leaf extracts from Dionaea muscipula contain quinones such as the naphthoquinone plumbagin that couple to different NADH-dependent diaphorases, producing superoxide and hydrogen peroxide upon autoxidation. Upon preincubation of Dionaea extracts with certain diaphorases and NADH in the presence of serumalbumin (SA), subsequent tryptic digestion of SA is facilitated. Since the secretroy glands of Droseracea contain proteases and possibly other degradative enzymes it is suggested that the presence of oxygen-activating redox cofactors in the extracts function as extracellular predigestive oxidants which render membrane-bound proteins of the prey (insects) more susceptible to proteolytic attacks.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Botanik und Mikrobiologie, Technische Universität München, FRG.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Galek
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Osswald
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Elstner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004063:Digestion; D008058:Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D005609:Free Radicals; D007313:Insecta / Q000378:metabolism; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005609:Free Radicals; D011506:Proteins; D009243:NAD; D008058:Dihydrolipoamide Dehydrogenase; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D010100:Oxygen